
Materials Inventory
A Data-Driven Review by GetEcomTools
For makers and small manufacturers, this tool provides robust control over raw materials and product components, synchronizing inventory to prevent overselling and streamline production planning.
About Materials Inventory
Designed specifically for makers and brands with complex production needs, Materials Inventory provides the operational backbone to manage component-based products. Its core capabilities enable store owners to move beyon...
Rating
5/5
Reviews
52
Free Plan
No
Updated
Aug 2025
Categories
Official Links:
The GetEcomTools Verdict: Our Data-Driven Analysis
Our Take:
"The app provides exceptional, in-depth control over raw materials for makers building a premium brand, while its pricing model is a key consideration for businesses planning their scaling journey."
Best for:
Small-to-medium manufacturing businesses and makers who require granular control over component-based inventory and product recipes to build a scalable, retail-ready operation.
Key Consideration
Merchants selling simple, non-composite products or those highly sensitive to monthly subscription costs may find the feature set more robust than necessary for their current operational stage.
Data-Driven Performance Snapshot
Overall Performance
The platform's capabilities provide a robust framework for real-time stock synchronization and control. Core design principles support accurate inventory tracking, with opportunities for strategic configuration to fully optimize for complex, multi-component product lines and enhance brand scalability.
Core design principles support the intricate needs of small-batch manufacturing, enabling precise tracking of raw materials within complex product recipes. This functionality is central to preventing overselling and empowering brands to build unwavering customer loyalty through operational excellence.
Feature integrations facilitate effective production planning by offering clear visibility into available materials and potential finished goods. The system is designed to help makers scale confidently, with strategic use of its forecasting tools unlocking pathways to greater operational efficiency.
The tool's setup reveals a strong foundation for analyzing costs and profitability per product. This feature empowers store owners to make data-driven decisions that protect margins and support the long-term financial health required to build enduring brand equity.
Pros & Cons: Key Findings From Our Analysis
Pros
Granular Material Management
The app's core function is its powerful ability to manage inventory at the component level. As noted by some merchants, this allows for the creation of complex product 'recipes' from raw materials, automatically decrementing component stock when a finished product is sold. This capability is pivotal for makers and small manufacturers, enabling them to move beyond manual spreadsheets, prevent overselling, and build a scalable operational foundation for retail-ready growth.
Cons
Pricing Model
The platform's pricing tiers represent a notable investment, particularly for businesses scaling from one plan to the next. While the entry point offers core functionality, the price jumps to access advanced features like 'Components' are significant. This structure, however, appears designed to align cost with value, as these higher-tier features unlock the deep operational control necessary for maturing businesses to manage complexity and protect margins. Carefully evaluate each tier's feature set against your growth trajectory to ensure alignment.
Initial Setup
Implementing a system for component-level inventory requires a dedicated upfront effort to organize and input data for raw materials, recipes, and suppliers. While this initial configuration can be time-intensive, it establishes a powerful, centralized source of truth for the entire operation. This foundational work is an investment that unlocks significant long-term efficiency gains and the data-driven insights needed to scale a brand with confidence. Allocate sufficient time for data migration and setup to maximize the platform's long-term value.
Top Alternatives to Materials Inventory (Based on Performance Data)
The Deep Dive: Full Analysis & Audited Data
The model is built for scaling businesses with increasingly complex inventory needs.
The entry-level 'Hobby' plan provides core bundling and tracking, but the significant value is unlocked in higher tiers. The price jumps to 'Business' and 'Business Pro' reflect a move towards advanced features like component management and multi-location support. This structure is ideal for ambitious brands that anticipate growing their operational complexity and can leverage these powerful features to protect their margins and scale efficiently.
Hobby
$39.00
/ monthly
Usage & Quotas
500
/ monthUpgrade plan for more
500
/ monthUpgrade plan for more
1
/ monthUpgrade plan for more
Key Features
- Product Bundles
- Shopify Inventory Sync
Business
$89.00
/ monthly
Usage & Quotas
1,500
/ monthUpgrade plan for more
2,000
/ monthUpgrade plan for more
1
/ monthUpgrade plan for more
Key Features
- All features from 'Hobby'
- Dynamic Inventory Alerts
- Custom Products
- Components
Business Pro
$189.00
/ monthly
Usage & Quotas
6
/ monthUpgrade plan for more
2,500
/ monthUpgrade plan for more
5,000
/ monthUpgrade plan for more
Key Features
- All features from 'Business'
1.What is Materials Inventory primarily used for?
Materials Inventory is designed for makers and small manufacturers to track raw materials, manage product recipes, and sync inventory in real-time. This system provides granular material management to prevent overselling and streamline your production. You can learn more about its core component and recipe tracking capabilities.
2.How does Materials Inventory help with product bundling and recipes?
The app excels at creating complex product recipes and bundles by linking finished goods to their individual raw materials. When a bundled product sells, the app automatically deducts the correct amount from your component stock, ensuring your inventory levels are always accurate. This is a core part of its granular material management.
3.Does the app update my Shopify inventory automatically?
Yes, Materials Inventory updates your Shopify product inventory in real-time. This automatic synchronization ensures that your storefront accurately reflects the number of products you can make with your on-hand materials, which is crucial for preventing overselling. This is a key feature detailed in the audited features list.
4.What makes Materials Inventory a good choice for makers in 2025?
Materials Inventory is built for the specific needs of makers by providing a simple, functional interface to manage complex component inventory, a feature praised by users. The app's design, which has earned it a 5.0 rating, allows you to focus on your craft instead of on complicated software. This makes it a powerful tool for production planning.
5.What is the main benefit of the Business plan over the Hobby plan?
Upgrading to the Business plan unlocks the powerful 'Components' feature, which is essential for businesses with more complex, multi-part product recipes. This tier is designed for scaling manufacturers who need deeper operational control to protect margins and manage growth. The full tier comparison is available in the pricing analysis.
6.How is the pricing for Materials Inventory structured?
The pricing is a tiered monthly subscription designed to scale with your business's complexity and order volume. Each plan unlocks more advanced features, such as component tracking and multi-location support, aligning the cost with the value required for growing operations. You can review the details in our pricing analysis.
7.Does Materials Inventory work with Shopify?
Yes, Materials Inventory is built exclusively for Shopify and integrates seamlessly with your store's backend. It reads your product data and updates Shopify inventory levels in real-time, creating a single source of truth for your stock. This deep integration is central to its inventory management system.
8.What are some creative ways to manage components with this app?
You can use Shopify's 'draft products' to represent individual components within the app. This innovative user-developed method allows you to build and track intricate product recipes by bundling these draft items, extending the app's functionality for advanced use cases. Discover more tips in the merchant playbooks.
9.How can I use the app for daily production planning?
Beyond simple inventory tracking, you can configure the app to manage your daily production output. This gives you clear visibility into what you can produce each day based on available materials, helping you streamline your workflow and operate more efficiently. Find more strategies in the merchant playbooks.
10.How does this app help prevent overselling my products?
The app prevents overselling by calculating your 'makable' product quantity based on your raw material stock and updating your Shopify inventory in real-time. This proactive stock management ensures you never sell an item you can't produce, which is key to building customer trust. The entire system is built for reliable inventory management.
11.What's the best way to track the cost of goods sold (COGS) for my ecommerce store?
Materials Inventory provides informative reports on costs and profits for each product, giving you clear insight into your COGS. By tracking the cost of each raw material within your product recipes, you can make data-driven decisions to protect your margins. Learn more about the app's cost analysis capabilities.
12.Can this app help me know when to reorder materials?
Yes, the app includes low inventory alerts and helps you identify reorder points for your raw materials. You can set dynamic thresholds that notify you when it's time to place a new purchase order, ensuring you never run out of critical supplies. This is a core part of the audited features.
13.How difficult is the initial setup for Materials Inventory?
The setup is straightforward and designed to be intuitive, even for users without prior ERP experience. While the initial data entry for materials and recipes requires focus, this investment establishes a powerful foundation for your business. For new users, some find that understanding basic database concepts can simplify the process, a tip highlighted in our merchant playbooks.
14.What data does Materials Inventory access from my Shopify store?
The app accesses product and order information necessary to perform its core function of inventory management. This data is used to sync stock levels between your raw materials and finished goods, ensuring accuracy. All data handling is designed to be secure and focused on operational efficiency.
15.What are the best inventory management strategies for handmade products in 2025?
For handmade products, the best strategy is to track inventory at the component level, which Materials Inventory excels at. This allows you to know exactly how many items you can create from your raw materials, providing the operational excellence needed to scale a craft-based business. This is the app's core strength-material-management.
16.How can a made-to-order business use this app to manage its production workflow?
The app is ideal for made-to-order models by providing real-time visibility into your raw material stock. This ensures that when an order comes in, you have the necessary components on hand, allowing you to sync your purchasing, manufacturing, and sales processes for a seamless workflow. This is a key part of its production planning capabilities.
17.What's the most effective way to manage Shopify product bundle inventory?
The most effective method is using an app that automatically depletes component stock when a bundle is sold, which is exactly what Materials Inventory does. This automates inventory sync for product bundles, eliminating manual errors and saving significant time. You can see how this works in the audited features.
18.Can Materials Inventory help with Shopify recipe management for products like food or cosmetics?
Yes, the app's recipe management is perfect for businesses that sell products made from multiple ingredients, like teas, spices, or cosmetics. You can create a recipe for each product, and the system will automatically track the inventory of each ingredient, providing the precision control needed for these industries. This is a primary feature of its component and recipe tracking.
19.For a small manufacturing business, how does this app compare to alternatives like Katana or Odoo?
Materials Inventory is frequently praised for its straightforward and user-friendly interface, which is a key advantage over more complex systems. It provides the powerful component tracking needed for small-batch manufacturing without the steep learning curve, making it a strong choice for businesses that value simplicity and efficiency. Explore more unique advantages in the merchant playbooks.
20.How do low stock alerts for components work in this app?
The app allows you to set custom, dynamic thresholds for each raw material in your inventory. When the stock of a specific component drops below its threshold, you receive an automatic alert, prompting you to reorder. This system ensures supply chain continuity and prevents production delays. You can find this listed in the audited features.